Identity
Name origin: name derives from the Uruguay River, which makes up the western border of the country.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Uruguay
South AmericaRegional Champion
Uruguay tops South America for life expectancy. How does it compare to its neighbors?
Uruguay tops South America for life expectancy. Neighbors look to it as a regional benchmark. How does it compare to its neighbors?
-33.0, -56.0 - South America
Area
181K km²
Pop.
3.45M
Stats
126
Reality brief
Uruguay is a country in South America with a population of 3.45M and an area of 181,034 km². Life expectancy is 78.1 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
University Enrollment Rate
79.95%#27globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Human Development Index
0.86#49globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Internet Users (%)
91.99%#52globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Life Expectancy
78.1 years#62globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
GDP Per Capita
$32,038.77#67globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Uruguay
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Geography
Size snapshot: about the size of Virginia and West Virginia combined.
CIA 2026
Culture
Major languages include Spanish (official, Rioplatense is the most widely spoken dialect).
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Uruguay
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Suicide Rate
24.75 per 100k#5globallyTop stat
Suicide mortality rate per 100,000 people, from World Bank Open Data.
Urban Population (%)
95.6%#19globallyTop stat
The percentage of people living in cities and urban areas.
Youth Unemployment Rate
25.15% of youth labor force#29globallyTop stat
Share of the labor force ages 15-24 that is unemployed from the World Bank latest available country value.
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
146 per 100 people#37globally
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #192 in fdi inflows (% gdp)
#192-4.89% of GDPFDI Inflows (% GDP)
Foreign direct investment net inflows as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #211 in fertility rate
#2111.3 children/womanFertility Rate
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime based on current birth rates.
Only ranks #192 in protected land (%)
#1923.1%Protected Land (%)
The percentage of land area designated as protected natural reserves or parks.
Only ranks #187 in population density
#18719.36 /km²Population Density
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Compared with the region
How Uruguay Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Uruguay
South America avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $36,417.87
- Region avg
- $23,608.58
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Uruguay$36,417.87
South America$23,608.58
World$31,844.55
+14% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 78.1 years
- Region avg
- 76.3 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Uruguay78.1 years
South America76.3 years
World73.7 years
+6% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.86
- Region avg
- 0.81
- World avg
- 0.74
Uruguay0.86
South America0.81
World0.74
+16% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 91.99%
- Region avg
- 85.63%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Uruguay91.99%
South America85.63%
World70.29%
+31% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Uruguay
Country briefing
The Spanish founded the city of Montevideo in modern-day Uruguay in 1726 as a military stronghold, and it soon became an important commercial center due to its natural harbor.
Read the full Factbook note
The Spanish founded the city of Montevideo in modern-day Uruguay in 1726 as a military stronghold, and it soon became an important commercial center due to its natural harbor. Argentina initially claimed Uruguay, but Brazil annexed the country in 1821. Uruguay declared its independence in 1825 and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros (or Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros) launched in the late 1960s and pushed Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By year-end, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was restored in 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio (FA) Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control by the Colorado and National (Blanco) parties. The left-of-center coalition retained the presidency and control of both chambers of congress until 2019. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the South American continent.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
- Climate
- warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
- Terrain
- mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
- Natural Resources
- arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish
- Natural Hazards
- seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts
- Size Comparison
- about the size of Virginia and West Virginia combined; slightly smaller than the state of Washington
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Spanish (official, Rioplatense is the most widely spoken dialect)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 36.5%, Protestant 5% (Evangelical (non-specific) 4.6%, Adventist 0.2%, Protestant (non-specific) 0.3%), African American Cults/Umbanda 2.8%, Jehovah's Witness 0.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 0.2%, other 1%, Believer (not belonging to the church) 1.8%, agnostic 0.3%, atheist 1.3%, none 47.3%, unspecified 3.4% Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 15%, other 6%, agnostic 3%, atheist 10%, unspecified 24% (2023 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- White 87.7%, Black 4.6%, Indigenous 2.4%, other 0.3%, none or unspecified 5% (2011 est.)
- Major Cities
- 1.774 million MONTEVIDEO (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- Montevideo
- Capital Coordinates
- 34 51 S, 56 10 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Oriental Republic of Uruguay
- Name Origin
- name derives from the Uruguay River, which makes up the western border of the country; the river's name comes from the Guarani words uru (bird) and guay (tail)
- Independence
- 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
- National Symbols
- Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol)
- National Anthem
- "Himno Nacional" (National Anthem of Uruguay)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 3 (all cultural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- high-income, export-oriented South American economy; South America's largest middle class; low socioeconomic inequality; growing homicide rates; growing Chinese and EU relations; 2019 Argentine recession hurt; key milk, beef, rice, and wool exporter
- Industries
- food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
- Agricultural Products
- milk, rice, wheat, barley, soybeans, beef, rapeseed, sugarcane, maize, beef offal (2023)
- Export Partners
- China 21%, Brazil 17%, USA 8%, Argentina 5%, Netherlands 5% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- wood pulp, beef, milk, rice, wood (2023)
- Import Partners
- Brazil 22%, China 18%, Argentina 11%, USA 9%, Nigeria 4% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- crude petroleum, refined petroleum, cars, trucks, fertilizers (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- Armed Forces of Uruguay (Fuerzas Armadas del Uruguay or FF.AA. del Uruguay): National Army, National Navy (includes Coast Guard (Prefectura Nacional Naval or PRENA)), Uruguayan Air Force Ministry of Interior: National Police (2025)
- Military Service
- generally 18-30 years of age (up to 22 for the Navy and up to 40 for some specialist positions) for voluntary military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 3.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 37% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 27.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 23.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- mix of privately owned and state-run broadcast media; over 100 commercial radio stations and about 20 TV channels; cable TV is available; many community radio and TV stations; adopted the hybrid Japanese/Brazilian HDTV standard (ISDB-T) in 2010 (2019)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #5
Suicide Rate
Doctors (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Life Expectancy
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Demographics12 statsBest: #19
Urban Population (%)
Death Rate
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Land Area
Teen Birth Rate
Population
Dependency Ratio
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Population Density
Fertility Rate
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #22
Education & Future4 statsBest: #27
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #29
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
Government Debt (% GDP)
Inflation Rate
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP (Nominal)
GDP Growth Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Technology3 statsBest: #37
Environment9 statsBest: #41
Renewable Energy (%)
Irrigated Land
2.2K km²#69
Forest Area
Electricity Access (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
CO2 Per Capita
Forest Coverage (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Protected Land (%)
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #45
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #74
Lifestyle3 statsBest: #82
Energy1 statsBest: #85
Electric Generating Capacity
5.68M kW#85
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #96
Coastline Length
660 km#96
Land Border Length
1.6K km#104
Highest Elevation
514 m#192
Lowest Elevation
0 m#196
Keep exploring
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Uruguay
#27 in University Enrollment Rate
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Top 15% globally
79.95%
Frequently Asked Questions about Uruguay
What is the population of Uruguay?
Uruguay has a population of 3.45M, ranking #133 globally by population.
What continent is Uruguay in?
Uruguay is located in South America. It has an area of 181,034 km².
What is the life expectancy in Uruguay?
Life expectancy in Uruguay is 78.1 years, ranking #62 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Uruguay?
Uruguay's GDP per capita (PPP) is $36,417.87, ranking #67 globally.
What is Uruguay known for in global statistics?
Uruguay ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#27), Human Development Index (#49), Internet Users (%) (#52).
What is Uruguay's Human Development Index?
Uruguay has an HDI of 0.862, ranking #49 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Uruguay?
Uruguay has a population density of 19.4 people per km², ranking #187 globally.